Combined shut-off and drainage



Aug. 18, 1936.

J. DE HAES 2,051,247

COMBINED SHUT-OFF AND DRAINAGE VALVING MEANS Filed May 51, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 18, 1936. J. DE HAES 2,051,247

COMBINED SHUT-OFF AND DRAINAGE VALVING MEANS Filed May 51, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES (IOMBINED SHUT-OFF AND DRAINAGE VALVING MEANS Jerome De Haes, Chicago, assignor of onehalf to A. Trevor Jones, Oak Park, Ill.

Application May 31, 1934, Serial No. 728,365

I 14 Claims.

This invention relates tocombined shut-off and check valving means, more particularly for steam radiators or the like.

In steam heating systems which are not provided with return pipes for the condensation products of the system, leakage of water from the radiators when the steam is wholly or'partially shut off has always been a seriousmenace to property. When the valve at the radiator is shut off, in the absence of a return pipe, the water condensed in the radiator has no means of escape and gradual accumulations of such water will cause disagreeable knocking when the steam is again turned on, frequently accompanied with a discharge or" the water upon the floor. Also if the radiator is not shut off tightly, the water may not be able to escape past the valve, but some steam may still be admitted, which will condense in the radiator and rapidly swell the accumulations of water therein sothat serious leakage of the radiator follows inevitably.

An important object of the present invention is to provide valving means, desirably in a unitary structure, of simple and economical construction, including a main valve and a check valve carried by the main valve. When adapted for use with steam radiators to correct the difficulties above referred to, for which the invention has particular utility, admission of steam to the radiator may be prevented, while at the same time the water condensing therein may be permitted to drain off through the same pipe through which steam is carried, thus avoiding the necessity for the expensive installation of a return pipe system. Other uses and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a main valve member embodying one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the lines 2--2 of Figure 1, looking downwardly;

Figure 3 is a section takenon the line 3-4 of Figure 1, looking upwardly;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing parts of the structure of Figure 1 inseparated relation; Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 1, of a main valve member with my invention, in a different aspect, applied thereto, a fragmentary portion of a valve stem being shown connected to the main valve part;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the main valve part of Figure 5, with the valve stemremoved;

(c1; air-30) Figure 7' is a bottom plan view of the structure of Figure 5; and .5}

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view on a some what smaller scale, partly in elevation, of an exemplary complete valving means including my 5 invention. r 7

Referring first to Figure 8 of the drawings, it will be noted that I have shown a conventional valve body It) having integral screw-threaded male and female nipples respectively ll and l2 10 for attachment, by the nipple H to the usual steam radiator or the like (not shown) used for heating purposes. 'By the nipple H, the usual steam pipe is attached and a passage [3 through the'valve body communicates thus with both the 15 radiator and the supply pipe. A bonnet 14 caps the valve body It and carries the usual valve stem 15, having a hand wheel or. the like at the top for annular rotation, this wheel being not here shown. As is well known, rotation of the stem l5, by reason of threads IS on the valve stem'engaging with similar threads in the bonnet l4, causes the main valve B to be moved toward or away from the valve seat I? to close or open the passageway f3 and thus exclude or permit the 2-5 entry of steam from the supply pipe to the radiator, in a well-known manner.

The main valve part of the valving means shown in Figure 8- may be constructed, in accordance with my invention, in forms, for ex- 30 ample, here shown as A andB.

Referring first to the A structure, as shown in Figure I, this includes a generally cylindrical member 18 desirably formed of metal, andhaving an annular valve face 19 in this instance pro- 35 vided by a gasket ring 20 set into an annular recess in the flange-like face M of the member l8 and desirably formed of a composition material suitable for providing a tight seal with an an nular valve seat such as'the valve seat I1, shown 40 in Figure 8.

Desirably carried by the member f8 centrally Qf the main valve face [9, is auxiliary valving' means constructed in accordance with my invention and in the nature of a check valve mechanism brought into operation when the main valve .isin closed position with respect to the passage through the valve body, that is in this instance when the main valve face I9 is in tight engagement with a valve seat such as [1.

In the illustrative construction shown in Figures'l to 4-inclusive, I provide an auxiliary passageway through the main valve structure A including ducts 23, of which there are in this in stance three, leading through the member I8 and suitably secured to the jmember 18' aboutrthe member l 8'being' grooved: forv this purpose as at '271circurnferentially of the wall and within the area'of and'concentric with thevalve face l9. 7 V The cylinder, for;1 ;he' -purp'osesof my invention,

V }is below the valve seat I! when thefmain valve is closed;

central aperture 29 therein. The aperture 124 in {29injthe lower transverse wall 28' are adapted V: tolbe closed by a, plate or disk.30'. for the upper j aperture and 40 for the'lower aperture. The plate 7130 is'lloosely held in a' position closely adjacent tonthe aperture 24; by, a ,foraminated support 3 l' l flhere shown 'as' a metallic'di'sk 'suitably isecured in e y 25, pa eda relativelyshort distance i V below thetransverse wall 2 5fandr havingrperfora-r r itions; 32,in -thi s instance three of thesejthrein and: distributed circumf erentially about the disk r se as to define alarger areathan' that of'the 1 disk '3 0:so that'thefperforations 32 icannot at any ,iime b'eiallfcovered bythepdiskill; The aperture 129, in ;the lower transverse wall,; 28, "also iri ,the

'7 form era-disk: suitably secured in the lower end r r of the cylinder.Z5',1,i s similarly adapted to be closed by the disk 40 loosely held' in position adjacent 'the wall 28 by another forarninat ed support 34 somewhat similar to' the support 3 land also hav- :ing ajplura lity o f perforations35 therein; The support 134;; however, may be securedto the cyle inder 263 s a;partial closureioruthelower end 7 thereof by means of the annularfiange 36 snugly 1 telescoping over'the lower end-of the cylinder. In order-V to further; assur'egthat V the disks 30 and 1 respectively will not close j the perforations 32 ahd'j3 5 respectively, inwardlydirected projections or nubs 37-, 38 respectively are provided on the j 'suppgrt'sil and 34 to space the disks away-from their supportsand to project them toward the transverse" walls;

' 1 j The disks can, 40 V and aha associated 'arts J st e cri e rcpn u qm 'wheti e n e '50' s a V on .themain valve A and adaptedrwnormally to off a-"pair of ch'eck valves spaced apart vertically close the auxiliary passagethrough the valve A defined, by theducts'23 'and the hollow cylinder 26, wh en' there is steam pressure in' thefsteam" pipe'leading to the valve body Ill and when the' valve A is in closed positio n as when'the valve facej'lfl isin tight engagementrwith a-valve seat V j such} as the valve seat 11; It will be understood -'that the disks 30, 4;; being of substantially smaller diameter than the tube 26, and being loosely held between their respective transverse walls :andffo 7' raminated supports, are moved by the steam pressure beneaththem; if any, each into engagement withl theirrrespectlve transverse wallsso aslto of gravity the spring? at 001 ose the a tube closeithe apertures through these fwalls.

' described, the space 31: between the pair of check the apertures "24 and '29.

fln' the construction now described, such a by rests"mildewa; a rlet i lr p n 7 to an'aperture 24 here;shown centrally located 1 in a transverse'wall 25 in the member IS; The V passageway through the member A also includes, r was shown, inlFigure 1, a hollow m'etal cylinder '26 wall 25 as by a snug telescoping. engagement, the

.:w'ithth'e ducts 23, is laterally enlarged as at 46 to communicate also with thetube'43J V a r The tubes 42, '43 both extend and open into the 1 Whenthe lower aperture 29 is closedtas just 2,051,247 t L J "diameter tubes 42 and 43. 1 The tube 42 may be, mounted on the disk forming the transverse wall 7 28 to pass upwardlyr therethrough substantially tangent to the periphery thereof and to'lie along at side of and in abutment with therlongitudinally extending wall of the cylinder 26;

"Figure 2, the counter-bore 45in the member lfl surroundingzthe aperture 24 and communicating fflo'at'chamber 39fthe, tube 42 upwardly,=and the i tube -43 downwardly, and these tubes are" aligned vertically with their adjacent ends spa'cedapart' withinthe'float chamber 39; the tube 42 being desirablyathe longer'ot the two soas toextend up toward'the" upper portion of thisiloatfcham- '7 V 7 her. i Between theiadjacent ends eithe -tubes 42,

valves 47, 48, in thisjinstance formed integrally oficonicalfaces at the lower and upper ends 7 The tube '43" may be-soinewhat similarlycarried by the disk' forming the foraminatedsupport .3l at the up- V 43. is carried bythe -fioat; 4l a pair of needle j V 25 at opposite ends of a. small solid metallic cylinder 49 rigidly carried by a rigid laterally extending" arm 50 suitably securely. attached to the fioat4le V The needle valves, 49 are shown in'the for'm 7 respectively of cylinder 49; and are adapted'toj seat in the mouths 5| 52' (Fig. 4') respectively of the tubes 42, to close one or theotherzof these tubes, as'the cas emay :bei =In prder to "guide the needle valves in their movement, Lhave .de- 7 sirably'shownthe cylinder 4 9,.extended; at each- 7 end centrally of the=conicalftaoes forming the needle valves 41, 48"to form rod-like reducedv extensions 53; which project into the tubes. 7 Surrounding; the upper rod-like extension'js I have shown a compression coil spring 54 which seats atfits upper end against an inwardly di Y rested annular flange 55' of the tube 43 .andat itslower end against the needle valve 48 1 Thus a the action of the springv 54supplements the ac.-

tion of gravity in maintaining the float 4| iresil- V ie'ntly ,in its lowermost positionv in :the float], f 7

chamber 39 with the'needle valvefl] closing the; V

tube 42. V

The. er tion or the structure just described position as already reierred to, it isfdesiredto whil at t e me t enermi n e r therefrom through the V sa me pipe which carto close the aperture 29. At the same tim'egif thereis' no water in the float chamber '3 9f, as" there would not be immediately whenfthe disk'r s V l v v a V V 5 is; as "follows: When the main valve A is in closed; 7

prevent steam'from passing intorthefradiators 40 is movedto closed position thefloat 4'lfwill beat its lowermost position under thesini'iuence' 42. Unless the steam pressure is sufiic'ient t'o overcome the force both of gravity and' of the spring 54,110 passage through-the valve A. will bev found'b'y the steam. :The strength of. the

spring 54imay 'be predetermined for a. predeter--' mined steam pressure desired to be workedv with;

Q; iFor exampleQspring 54 maybe ofa strength ri'ed' .by the system in the. vicinity For. the radiators. u With the passage for the steam'thus. closed, the water of condensation accumulating inthe radiator may pass through'one or more of the duots23, then through either or'both of the aperture 24 and the tube 43, and intothe float chamber 39. The aperturev 24 will be assumed to be openat this time, since by-reason of the orifice through the wall 25 provided by the tube 43, pressure is equalized onboth sides of the disk 38, that is, above and below the disk 30., so that water is driven into the chamber 39. As the water accumulates in the float chamber 39, the float, under the influence of the water, supplemented by the steam pressure below it, will be raised against the action of the spring 54 to open the tube 42. This'will permit steam to pass through the tube 42 and intothe float chamber 39, equalizing the pressure on opposite sides of the disk 40 and permitting the waterin the float chamber to open the aperture 29, the water draining down into the steam pipe. At the same time, the float upon rising toits upper most position will close the tube 43 by the needle valve 48, and the pressure of steam in the float chamber will move the disk 30 to close the aperture 24, thus preventing entry of the steamto the radiator. As soon as the water has drained from the float chamber 39, however, the action of the spring 54 supplementing the action of gravity on the float 41, will overcome the steam pressure and will again 'move the needle valve 41 to close the tube 42, whereupon'the pressure will be again. on the bottom side of .the disk 49 and will move this disk to again close the aperture 29 and to maintain this closed until ,water again accumulates in the float chamber 39, to repeat the cycle. It willbe understood that the disks 30 and 43 are of suflicient area to always close the apertures 24 or 29 asjthe case may be when the disks are moved into abutment with their respective transverse. walls as described.

. While the auxiliary valving means as a' whole is below the valve seat I1, so that water may drain thereinto, the upper ends of the ducts 23 or 61 (Fig. 5) are advantageously above" the lower level. of the radiator interior, so that sediment cannot. run into the ducts to obstruct them, while at the same time any water standing in the radiator up to the level of the upper ends of the ducts 23 can drain out therethrough.

The wafer-like discs 30, 40 and 65 '(Fig. 5) function somewhat on the principle of a telephone transmitter diaphragm, in that they vibrate with a breath of air or steam, and will therefore prevent passage or leaking of the steam thereby even though there is no "substantial.

pressure of steam in the'system. For this reason, my device will function rapidly and positively to close or open the drainage passage by reason of the vibrating, loosely held, wafer-like valve which I have shown.

In steam-heating systems for apartments and oifice buildings, for example, where the steam is turned ofi entirely at night, a sub-combination of my invention may be used advantageously, omitting the float and float chamber shown in Figures 1 to 4, and thus also omittingone of the check valves. This latter construction is illustrated by my simplified B valve structure shown in detail in Figures 5 to 7 inclusive.

This B structure .comprisesaa-zmain valve part 55 generally similar to the partlfl of the A.

structure and having the annular gasket 51 providlng a valve face. Instead of the cylinder 26, however, the B structure may be extended downwardly to form the integral part 58 having the transverse. wall 59 therein with a central aperture 60. The part 58 at 6| is exteriorly threaded below the transverse wall .60 to have screwed thereon the interiorly threaded flange 62 of the member 63, which, by reason of the perforations 64 thereinserves both as-a partial closure for the. portion 58 and also as. a foraminated sup: port for the disk 65- loosely held between the member 63 and the transverse wall 60. The inwardly-directed axially aligned projection or nub 66 spaces this disk from the perforations 88 and toward the, transverse wall 59. The perforations or ior-aminations in the partial closure are-desirablyiofiset axially so as to be oif centre of theclosure- In the operation of this B structure, when the. main valve is moved to closed position, as'indicated in Figure 8, the steam is shut off from the radiator. by reason of the fact that the main valve closes. the passage .13, and also if thereis steam pressure still in the. pipe below the valve mechanism, this pressure will .force, the disk 65 toward the: transverse wall 58 and close the aper ture GIL'thus closing the auxiliary passage through the main valve B. When the steam is turned on. entirely, as at night, any water condensing in the radiator will drain down through the ducts 61. and into the hollowinterior 68 of the main valve, and down through the aperture and perforations 64, back into the steam pipe, the absence of fluid pressure on the under side of the disk permitting-this to drop bygravity to a position somewhat as shown in Figure 5,; and permitting the escape of the water.

An important aspect and advantage of my invention is that the valve structures A and B can be made separately as independent units and can be attached to an existing conventional valve structure as shown in Figure 8. For this purpose the shanks. of the members I8 and 56 re.- spectivelyof the structures A and Bare interiorly threaded as at 69 and- 10 respectively to receive a-threaded coupling nut such as the nut H (Figs. 5 and 8') which. is threaded as at'lZ to be screwed into the shank of the main valve and thus to cause the main valve to become an operative part of the rotatable valve stem l5. There is desirably'a rotative movement permittedbetween the valve stem 5 and the nut H, by reason of a somewhat loose connection therebetween, so that when the main valve is screwed down by the stem [5 to tight engagement with the valve seat, the valve stem may turn toforce the valve downwardly, without also rotating it,, since the rate.- tion' of the; main valve during its engagement with the valve seat would cause unnecessary wear between these parts. Ahead 13 at the lower end of the valve stem permits this lost motion connection while preventing disengagement of the .valve stem and main valve. v

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the details of construction shown herein for purposes of exemplification. I a V Having described my. invention, I claim: 7

valving means of thecharacter described, theconrbination with a valve body having a passage therethrough and a valve seat in said passage, of a main valve vertically movable toward and away from said seat to close andjopen the passage; an auxiliary passage through said main valve; an: uppentransversewall in said auxiliary passage having a centralaperture therethrough';

i r andbeneath' said-upper transversewall; an aux-T a foraminated upper support'closely adjacent to 1 iliary valve member loosely carried by'the suputrans'versewall also having an aperture 'there-x through; a'lowerfora minated support beneath V the lower transverse wall; anothermovable memberrca'rried by said'lower support adapted to close said'second-mentioned' aperture; a float between c said lower wall and upper support; a pair of: needle valvescarried by'the float; andloriflces insaid upper and lower transverse: walls respe'ctively closed by one'ofr said needlevalves when I port in; position :clos'ely adjacent tosaid aperture: alower transverse wall vertically spaced from said first-mentioned wall and support, said lower 7 "the float' is in its' upperm'ost or lowermostlposb tion respectively, said orifices'providing a'bypass passage through-'said main'valve independent of r i: V fices are provided by vertically alignedrelativelyi saidauxiliary passage. a 1

12; The structure of :C1aimJi'wi r'm theifloat and the lower needlei valve are maintained in lowermost position by the action of; gravity and are" 'movabl'erupwardly" from said "lowermost po.-' 7 "sition against the" force of a lspringfl l 3-. The structurepf:claim' lywherein':saidorismall diameter tubes passingjthroughi the saidupper 'and lower transverse wallsrespectively and '3 said tubes have their adjacentendsspacedapartbetween theupper support and the lower-trans:-

7 verse wall, and the needle valves 7 have rod-like [reduced diameter extensions projected respec V 'tively into said tubes toguide the needle: valves itherein. f V 1;} i1

4. 'I'he structure of claim '1' wherein saidrrori-e fices are' provided by vertically aligned-orelatively small diameter tubes passing throug h'the lsaid upper and lower transverse 'walls respectivelyand 7 said tubes having their; adjacent ends spaced apart between the"upperfsupport and" the lower transverse wall, and'the needle valves are formed integrally and have reduced diameter rod-like extensions projecting into said tubes respectively to guide the needle'valves in their .up and-d'own A movement, and acompression coil springiis car-' ried by the upper tube surrounding: the'rod-lilre' "extensiori' received therein and having an upper neath the lower transverse wall; another mov- V able member carried by; said lower support adapt I bearing in saidtubeanda lower bearingion the "upper needle valve.

' 5; In valving' means lof' the' character Ida scribed, the combinationwith' 'a valve ;body have i ing a 'passage therethrough and'a valve seat in said passage, of a main 'val've vertically movable toward and away from said seat'to close and open lower transverse wall also having an aperture therethrough; a lower foraminated support beed to'f close said second-mentioned aperture V a i float; betweenisaid lower wall and uppersupport; Q :aneedle valve carried'by the float; and a'n'oriflce- V inthe lower wall "controlled by the needle valve;

6, Avalveofthe character described embody;

V ing aicylindri'cal metallic member screw-threaded at one 'en'd'for engagementwith avalve stem closure and ine'mber.

9,061,247 r V or and" havingoppositely-directed annularvalve 7 face, said member having a passage therethrough surrounded by the annular'valve ia'ce andsaid passage having a centrally :apertured transverse wall therein, a partialclosure for said. passage, said partial closure havingalpluralityfofiforaini nations therein otiset axiallyf of the, closure; and V a disk loosely enclosed between said closure and said wall hsald disk being adaptedto be moved in one direction by fluid pressure adapted to close sald'aperture and by fluid pressure in the oppo-r site direction to open. said aperture, the diskf being supported in the latterposition the foraminated member; 7

V "7. The structure ofclaim'6 wherein therelare closelyadjacent but abovesaid valve face; 7

a'rne structureof' claim 6 wherein the said closure carries" an inwardly} directed projection axially aligned engaging the"di'sk,*spacing it from tain'ing it nearer thesaid wall;

[9.'The structureyof claim 6 'whereinfthejsaid I V V s r I areprovided 'with"screw i threadedrengagement.

1 0; In valving means'fefsthe;character 'd; scribed, thefcombination with a va'lve'body hall? ing a Pa s ge th'erethrough j and :valve sea'tlin the'foramin'ated portion of the closure andrmairk" said passage: of a j main valve movable toward and awayr froinlsaid seat'to closeand openjthe" passage; a hollow cylinder 7 carried '7 by the; main valve in said passage atleast partially'belowsaid valve seat when the mainlvalve is closed, a, duct I in the said main valve communicating with Ithe cylinder and having an opening exteriorly' of the v seat; a transverse wallin said i cylinder having an aperture'therein'providing a passage. there- 'main valve in the immediatevicinity ofisaidvalve c throughsaid. aperture being below said valve seat when the valve is'closed; a plate movable into and V out of abutment with saidwall to close said aperture; and a foraminatedl'support for said plateloosely-maintaining the plate below said wall in position closelyradjacent to said wall. 7

'11. Inyvalving nieans 0f the =chara'cter de-.

scribed, the combination'with a valve body hav ing a passage, therethrough and a' valve seat in said passage, of a main valve movable toward and away from said'seat to open and closethe passage;

an auxiliary passage through said main valve ex tending-below said valve seat ini all normal po' sitions of the valvebiody; and a check valve car- 'riedrby the main valve below the"valve*seat for controllingjthe auxiliary passage said check valve beingin the form'of a, vibrating wafer-like plate loosely held by said-main'valve.

12..'In 'vialving means of the character dieing an annular valve fface; of a; passagewaythrough saidmain valve; a hollow receptacle car:

7 f I scribed; ,the combination with" amain valve'havried by'the main valve and projecting 'beyondthe V a 'said annularjvalve face centrally" thereof, said receptacle communicating with the passageway,

ari'aperture 'lnisaid receptacle, a foraminated supsupport for closing; said aperture.

or open the passageway, an auxiliary passageway port carried-.byithemain valve beyond tl er said 7 aperture, and an auxiliary valve gcarried bythe f l3.;;In 'valving: meansqiof the' characterIde-- scribed, the combination with 'apassageway, of I 'a' valve seat in s'aid'passa'geway, :a main valve 7 "movable toward and from said valve seat'to close f r r r 7 r5; "aplurality of inclineddrain ducts passing througlri V the memberginto'communicationwithsaid pas sage; said ducts' having their upper openings,

through the main valve, an auxiliary valve seat in said. auxiliary passageway, a forammated support carried bythe main valve, and an auxiliary valve loosely carried between the foraminated support and the auxiliary valve seat, said auxiliary Valve being free to move in one direction by the action of gravity to open the auxiliary passageway and in the other direction against the action of gravity to close the auxiliary passageway independently of the movement of the main valve.

14. In valving means of the character described, the combination with a common steam and drain passageway for a steam radiator or the like, of a fixed valve seat in said passageway, a main valve movable toward and away from said fixed valve seat to close or open the passageway, an auxiliary passageway through the main valve, an auxiliary valve seat in said auxiliary passageway, means for accumulating liquid condensation in the common passageway, said auxiliary valve seat in the auxiliary passageway being below said means when the main valve is closed, and an auxiliary valve carried by the main valve movable by the weight of the liquid to open the auxiliary passageway, said auxiliary valve moving in directions to close and open the auxiliary passageway opposite to the movements of the main valve to open and close the common passageway.

JEROME DE HAES. 

